Engaging with rough sleepers during SWEP
Both the Homeless Link guidance and the West Midlands Combined Authorities (WMCA) Winter Plan highlight the importance of making efforts to engage with rough sleepers when SWEP is enacted. These efforts will be over and above normal engagement practices and provide an opportunity to discuss service options and support with rough sleepers who may not always choose to engage or be otherwise ‘hard to reach’.
When SWEP and extended winter provisions are provided across Coventry, service providers will be expected to collect information about those they are supporting and share this with CCC Rough sleeping team and other appropriate partners, (gender, ethnicity, age, status, accommodation status). To ensure GDPR compliance services are not expected to share names unless the individual has signed to agree to this.
The collection of this information will help the City Council and its partners engage with, and tailor support to rough sleepers, beyond just during SWEP or periods of extended winter provision.
By collecting this information partners will be able to track rough sleepers presenting at different services (if necessary and appropriate to do so) and engage jointly with each other to maximise the benefit of support provided.